my yellow tang has ick starting on its front fins. It seems like it is itching and scratching on the rocks... what should i do?

-do a large water change syphoning the bottom and rinsing out all the filters.

- if you have no inverts and no live rock, i would treat via hyposalinity (lower salinity to 1.010 over a couple of days and hold it there 3-4 weeks)

- if you have any inverts, you could use invert safe medications that can be purchased at www.thatpetplace.com:
no ich
kick ich
melafix

-in the meanwhile feed the fish tetra medicated food for parasitic diseases and/ot food enriched with garlic and selcon.

do NOT treat with copper or formalin in the main tank. that will lead to many problems.

good luck.

you can also add a cleaner shrimp.

If at all possible, give the fish a freshwater bath to remove many of the parasites. The water must be dechlorinated and must match the pH and temperature of the tank water. The book I have says you can do this bath for 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the strength of the fish. You must watch the fish for signs of shock. If it just lays there, unmoving, when you put it into the fresh water, nudge it to see if it moves. If not, remove the fish immediately because either the pH or temperature (or both) are not correct. adjust and re-try.

While this will do a great deal to help the fish, you need to treat the tank because there may be free-swimming parasites, still looking for a host. If they don't find a host in 24 hours, they die. I used Greenex (malachite green and quinine hydrochloride) recently, and I think that worked.

Even if you treat the parasites, if they did a lot of damage your fish will be highly susceptible to secondary bacterial infection. Erythromycin has worked for me, in 400mg doses (I used Saltwater Maracyn).

Given that your original post was a few days ago, the next batch of parasites will hatch unless you act quickly. I can assure you, he who hesitates is lost!

If this seems a bit extensive (and expensive), it is! It is also demoralizing to watch your tank full of fish die. Good luck!

I had a bad outbreak of ich a month ago. Try No-Ich, it worked great for me and is invert safe.

off to the archives.

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In this hobby patience is not a virtue,,,,,its mandatory.
Jim's Marine Links